Texts of the Neapolitan songs

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Nicola
Valente

Cerèa, Memè!
(Bye, Domenica!)

Music: Nicola Valente,
Lyrics: Libero Bovio.
Year: 1932

Libero
Bovio

Instrumental version

The score is here

Cerèa, in the Piedmontese language, is a greeting that is used both at a meeting (Hello!) and at parting (Bye! Have a nice day!).

Memè is a version of the Italian female name Domenica.

Sia beneditto Dio,
Parto pe' militare.
Lasso 'o paese mio,
Lasso 'e ccanzone e 'o mare.
Me mannano ô Piemonte?
E llà pure è paese…
Trovo 'na piemuntese
Ca s'annammora 'e me!

Memè…
Nun ne putevo cchiù!…
Memè…
M'ero stancato 'e te.
Si primma ll'esercizie
M' 'e cumannave tu,
Unò… duè!…
Unò… duè!…
Mò m' 'e cumanna 'o Rre.

A cumannà 'ive bello…
Nun ce pò stà l'eguale,
Manco 'nu culunnello,
Manco 'nu generale!
Attenti! – E i' stevo attiento.
Riposo! – E i' ripusavo.
Di corsa! – E i' comm' 'o viento
Vulavo appriesso a tte!

Memè…
Nun ne putevo cchiù!…
Memè…
M'ero stancato 'e te.
Si primma ll'esercizie
M' 'e cumannave tu,
Unò… duè!…
Unò… duè!…
Mò m' 'e cumanna 'o Rre.

O dorge Amore mio,
Mò rieste sola sola…
Addio per sempre, addio,
Pizze c' 'a pummarola…
Truvateve 'o criato
Per te e per la famiglia,
Ca i' parto per soldato.
Ciavo! Cerèa, Memè!…

Memè…
Nun ne putevo cchiù!…
Memè…
M'ero stancato 'e te.
Si primma ll'esercizie
M' 'e cumannave tu,
Unò… duè!…
Unò… duè!…
Mò m' 'e cumanna 'o Rre.

translated by Natalia Chernega

Praise the Lord,
I'm going away for military service.
I'm leaving my land,
I'm leaving the songs and the sea.
Are they sending me to Piedmont*?
But people live there too…
I'll find a Piedmontese woman to myself
Who will fall in love with me!

Domenica…
I couldn't take it anymore!…
Domenica…
I'm tired of you.
If before
You gave me commands,
Hup, two!…
Hup, two!…
Now the king** commands me.

You commanded well…
No one can compare to you,
Not even a colonel,
Not even a general!
Stop! – And I stood still.
Rest! – And I rested.
Run! – And, like the wind,
I flew after you.

Domenica…
I couldn't take it anymore!…
Domenica…
I'm tired of you.
If before
You gave me commands,
Hup, two!…
Hup, two!…
Now the king commands me.

Oh, my sweet love,
Now you are all alone…
Farewell forever, farewell,
Pizza with tomato sauce…
Find another servant
For yourself and for the family,
Because I'm leaving to be a soldier.
Good luck! Bye, Domenica!…

Domenica…
I couldn't take it anymore!…
Domenica…
I'm tired of you.
If before
You gave me commands,
Hup, two!…
Hup, two!…
Now the king commands me.

translated by Natalia Chernega

* Piedmont is a region in the Northwest of Italy,
** till june 1946 Italy was the monarchy.

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